Cut a file card the long way into three
equal strips. If you're using stiff paper, make three strips that are 1
inch wide and 5 inches long.

Put a piece of tape on the end
of one strip. Curl the paper into a little hoop and tape the ends together.

Put the other two strips end
to end, so they overlap a little. Tape them together to make one long strip,
and put another piece of tape on one end. Curl the strip into a hoop and
tape the ends together.

Put
one end of a straw onto the middle of a strip of tape. Put the big hoop
on top of the straw and fold the tape up the sides of the hoop.

Our Home Scientists were surprised that their Hoopsters flew.
The Graff family wondered how anything that looked so awkward could fly
at all! Kids in the Popka family spent days developing new designs for their
Hoopsters--including one that was 7 feet long! And the kids in the Hino
family got out the butterfly net and tried to catch the Hoopsters as they
flew by!

Now comes the fun! Hold the Hoopster
in the middle of the straw, with the little hoop in front. Throw it like
a spear. It may take a little practice, but once you get the hang of it,
your Hoopster will really fly!

This part can be a little tricky. Put another strip
of tape at the other end of the straw. Press the small hoop very gently
onto the tape. Move it around until it lines up with the big hoop, then
press the tape down firmly. Your Hoopster should look like the picture
below:

If you want to experiment with
Hoopsters, here are some other things you can try:

Put a paper clip at the bottom of the small hoop.

Make a really long Hoopster with two straws. Cut a little
slit at the end of one straw and pinch it so it fits inside the other straw,
then tape them together.

Make a double Hoopster with two little hoops side by
side on one end and two big hoops side by side on the other. (You'll need
two file cards.)

This and dozens of other cool activities are included
in the Exploratorium's Science Explorer books, available for purchase
from our online
store.